This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods that allow a person to practice hitting or throwing a ball or the like in a confined space without having the ball travel a large distance or hit other persons or objects and cause injury or damage.
The foldable net according to the invention has several advantages over the prior art. The foldable net preferably includes a frame that preferably comprises either a single wire or a plurality of flexible tubes connected end-to-end to form a segmented frame. The foldable net according to the present invention is easy to manufacture, sturdy, self-standing, easily collapsible for storage or transit and can be used indoors or outdoors. The single-wire embodiment of the frame requires no assembly. The segmented frame requires engagement of a male connector at one end of each frame segment with a corresponding female connector and connecting one or more straps between selected portions of the frame. After assembly, the segmented frame embodiment of the invention may be folded for storage without disassembly of the frame.
A foldable net structure according to the present invention comprises an elastic frame member arranged to have an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion. The lower frame portion forms a base that supports the upper frame portion in a generally upright orientation on a generally horizontal surface when the foldable net is in its erected configuration with the base extending in a forward direction relative to the upper frame portion. A fabric section is connected to the frame and arranged for a projectile to be incident thereon. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of rear support members is connected to the frame and arranged to extend therefrom in a direction opposite to that of the lower frame portion. A pair of straps extend between the upper and lower frame sections to retain the upper and lower frame sections at a selected orientation with respect to one another.
The foldable net according to the present invention may include a fabric band that preferably extends between opposite sides of the frame to cooperate with the pair of straps to retain the upper and lower frame sections at the selected orientation with respect to one another. The foldable net according to the present invention may further comprise on or more weighted bags arranged to provide additional stability.
Each of the rear support members preferably further comprises a rod connected to the frame and a fabric connected to the rod and to the frame and arranged to provide support to the frame.
The rod preferably is connected to the frame by a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may be removable from the frame when the net is to be folded. Alternatively, the mounting bracket may be rotatably mounted to the frame.
An alternate embodiment of the invention includes a flexible frame that includes a plurality of frame segments connected end-to-end and arranged to have an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion arranged so that the lower frame portion forms a base. A net is connected to the frame and arranged to span the interior area bounded by the frame and absorb the impact of a projectile directed into the interior area. Each of the frame segments preferably is formed as an elongate hollow tube with a flexible cord being placed lengthwise in the hollow tubes to arrange the frame segments in predetermined positions with respect to one another. A plurality of straps is connected to the frame to constrain the frame to a predetermined configuration to form the upper and lower frame portions.
An appreciation of the objectives of the present invention and a more complete understanding of its structure and method of operation may be had by studying the following description of the preferred embodiment and by referring to the accompanying drawings.